Cost effective method for synthesis of triarylamine compounds from an aniline and an arylchloride

ABSTRACT

A process for forming a triarylamine compound, including reacting an aniline and an arylchloride in the presence of a ligated palladium catalyst and a base.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is generally directed to improved chemical processes forthe synthesis of arylamine compounds, and to the use of such arylaminecompounds in producing charge transport layers and overcoating layersfor electrophotographic imaging members. In particular, this disclosureprovides a method for producing a triarylamine molecule directly by thereaction of an aniline with an arylchloride compound.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/563,873 filedconcurrently herewith, describes a method for the preparation ofdiarylamine molecules by the reaction of an aniline with an arylbromidecompound using a ligated palladium catalyst in the presence of base.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/563,937 filedconcurrently herewith, describes an improved method for the preparationof derivatives of 4-aminobiphenyl using a ligated palladium catalyst inthe presence of base.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/263,671 filedNov. 1, 2005, describes a process for the preparation of a tertiaryarylamine compound, comprising reacting an arylhalide and an arylaminein an ionic liquid in the presence of a catalyst.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/992,690 filedNov. 22, 2004, describes a process for forming a tertiary arylaminecompound, comprising reacting an arylbromide and an arylamine. Forexample, the application describes a process for formingN,N-diphenyl-4-aminobiphenyl, comprising reacting 4-bromobiphenyl anddiphenylamine in the presence of a palladium-ligated catalyst.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/992,687 filedNov. 22, 2004, describes a process for forming a 4-aminobiphenylderivative arylamine compound, comprising: (i) providing a firstdisubstituted 4-aminobiphenyl compound; (ii) optionally formylating thefirst disubstituted 4-aminobiphenyl compound to form a bisformylsubstituted compound, where the first disubstituted 4-aminobiphenylcompound is not a bisformyl substituted compound; (iii) acidifying thebisformyl substituted compound to convert formyl functional groups intoacid functional groups to form an acidified compound; and (iv)hydrogenating the acidified compound to saturate at least oneunsaturated double bonds in the acidified compound, wherein there isprovided a second disubstituted 4-aminobiphenyl compound.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/992,658 filedNov. 22, 2004, describes a process for forming a 4-aminobiphenylderivative arylamine compound, comprising: (i) providing an iodinatedorganic compound; (ii) substituting the iodinated organic compound atcarboxylic acid groups thereof to provide ester protecting groups; (iii)conducting an Ullman condensation reaction to convert the product ofstep (ii) into an arylamine compound; and (iv) conducting a Suzukicoupling reaction to add an additional phenyl group to the arylaminecompound in the 4-position relative to the nitrogen, to provide the4-aminobiphenyl derivative arylamine compound.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/094,683 filedMar. 31, 2005, describes a process for forming an anhydrous alkali earthsalt of a dicarboxylic acid of an arylamine compound, comprisingreacting a dicarboxylic acid of an arylamine compound with an anhydrousalkali earth salt. The application also discloses a process for forminga siloxane-containing hole-transport molecule, comprising: reacting adicarboxylic acid of an arylamine compound with an anhydrous alkaliearth salt to form an anhydrous dicarboxylic acid salt of the arylaminecompound; and reacting the anhydrous dicarboxylic acid salt of thearylamine compound with a siloxane-containing compound.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/998,585 filedNov. 30, 2004, describes a silicon-containing layer forelectrophotographic photoreceptors comprising: one or moresiloxane-containing compound; and one or more siloxane-containingantioxidant; wherein the siloxane-containing antioxidant is at least onemember selected from the group consisting of hindered-phenolantioxidants, hindered-amine antioxidants, thioether antioxidants andphosphite antioxidants.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/034,713 filedJan. 14, 2005, describes an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprisinga charge-generating layer, a charge-transport layer, and an overcoatlayer comprised of a crosslinked siloxane composite compositioncomprising at least one siloxane-containing compound and metal oxideparticles.

Commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/709,193 filedApr. 20, 2004, describes a process for preparing an aryl iodidecompound, comprising: reacting an aryl halide compound with a metaliodide, a metal catalyst and a catalyst coordinating ligand in at leastone solvent to form an aryl iodide; and purifying the aryl iodide;wherein the solvent is heated to reflux during the reacting; wherein anaryl iodide yield of at least about 75% is obtained; and wherein thearyl iodide has a purity of at least 90%.

The appropriate components and process aspects of each of the foregoing,such as the arylamine precursor materials and electrophotographicimaging members, may be selected for the present disclosure inembodiments thereof. The entire disclosures of the above-mentionedapplications are totally incorporated herein by reference.

REFERENCES

JP-A-63-65449 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexaminedpublished Japanese patent application”), discloses anelectrophotographic photoreceptor in which fine silicone particles areadded to a photosensitive layer, and also discloses that such additionof the fine silicone particles imparts lubricity to a surface of thephotoreceptor.

Further, in forming a photosensitive layer, a method has been proposedin which a charge transport substance is dispersed in a binder polymeror a polymer precursor thereof, and then the binder polymer or thepolymer precursor thereof is cured. JP-B-5-47104 (the term “JP-B” asused herein means an “examined Japanese patent publication”) andJP-B-60-22347, disclose electrophotographic photoreceptors usingsilicone materials as the binder polymers or the polymer precursorsthereof.

Furthermore, in order to improve mechanical strength of theelectrophotographic photoreceptor, a protective layer is formed on thesurface of the photosensitive layer in some cases. A cross-linkableresin is used as a material for the protective layer in many cases.However, the protective layer formed by the cross-linkable resin acts asan insulating layer, which impairs the photoelectric characteristics ofthe photoreceptor. For this reason, a method of dispersing a fineconductive metal oxide powder (JP-A-57-128344) or a charge-transportsubstance (JP-A-4-15659) in the protective layer and a method ofreacting a charge-transport substance having a reactive functional groupwith a thermoplastic resin to form the protective layer have beenproposed.

However, even the above-mentioned conventional electrophotographicphotoreceptors are not necessarily sufficient in electrophotographiccharacteristics and durability, particularly when used in combinationwith a charger of the contact-charging system (contact charger) or acleaning apparatus, such as a cleaning blade.

Further, when a photoreceptor is used in combination with a contactcharger and a toner obtained by chemical polymerization (polymerizationtoner), a surface of the photoreceptor may become stained with adischarge product produced in contact charging or with polymerizationtoner that remains after a transport step. This staining can deteriorateimage quality in some cases. Still further, use of a cleaning blade toremove discharge product or remaining toner adhered to the photoreceptorsurface increases friction and abrasion between the surface of thephotoreceptor and the cleaning blade, resulting in a tendency to causedamage to the surface of the photoreceptor, breakage of the blade orturning up of the blade.

Furthermore, in producing a photoreceptor, in addition to improvement inelectrophotographic characteristics and durability, reducing productioncosts becomes an important problem. However, conventionalelectrophotographic photoreceptors also may have problems relating tocoating defects such as orange peel appearances and hard spots.

The use of silicon-containing compounds in photoreceptor layers,including in photosensitive and protective layers, has been shown toincrease the mechanical lifetime of electrophotographic photoreceptors,under charging conditions and scorotron charging conditions. Forexample, U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2004/0086794 to Yamadaet al. discloses a photoreceptor having improved mechanical strength andstain resistance.

However, the above-mentioned conventional electrophotographicphotoreceptor is not necessarily sufficient in electrophotographiccharacteristics and durability, particularly when such a photoreceptoris used in an environment of high heat and humidity.

Photoreceptors having low wear rates, such as those described in Yamada,also have low refresh rates. The low wear and refresh rates are aprimary cause of image-deletion errors, particularly under conditions ofhigh humidity and high temperature. U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,448 B2 toYoshino et al. addresses this issue, disclosing photoreceptors havingsome improvement in image quality, fixing ability, even in anenvironment of high heat and humidity. However, there still remains aneed for electrophotographic photoreceptors having high mechanicalstrength and improved electrophotographic characteristics and improvedimage deletion characteristics even under conditions of high temperatureand high humidity.

The disclosures of each of the foregoing patents and publications, andthe disclosures of any patents and publications cited below, are herebytotally incorporated by reference. The appropriate components andprocess aspects of the each of the foregoing patents and publicationsmay also be selected for the present compositions and processes inembodiments thereof.

BACKGROUND

In electrophotography, an electrophotographic substrate containing aphotoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is imaged byfirst uniformly electrostatically charging a surface of the substrate.The substrate is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagneticradiation, such as, for example, light. The electromagnetic radiationselectively dissipates charge in illuminated areas of thephotoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostaticlatent image in non-illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulatinglayer. This electrostatic latent image is then developed to form avisible image by depositing finely divided electroscopic markingparticles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. Theresulting visible image is then transferred from the electrophotographicsubstrate to a necessary member, such as, for example, anintermediate-transfer member or a print substrate, such as paper. Thisimage developing process can be repeated as many times as necessary withreusable photoconductive insulating layers.

In image-forming apparatus such as copiers, printers, and facsimiles,electrophotographic systems in which charging, exposure, development,transfer, etc., are carried out using electrophotographic photoreceptorshave been widely employed. In such image-forming apparatus, there areever-increasing demands for speeding up of image-formation processes,improvement in image quality, miniaturization and prolonged life of theapparatus, reduction in production cost and running cost, etc. Further,with recent advances in computers and communication technology, digitalsystems and color-image output systems have been applied also to theimage-forming apparatus.

Electrophotographic imaging members (such as photoreceptors) are known.Electrophotographic imaging members are commonly used inelectrophotographic processes having either a flexible belt or a rigiddrum configuration. These electrophotographic imaging members sometimescomprise a photoconductive layer including a single layer or compositelayers. These electrophotographic imaging members take many differentforms. For example, layered photoresponsive imaging members are known inthe art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990 to Stolka et al. describes a layeredphotoreceptor having separate photogenerating and charge-transportlayers. The photogenerating layer disclosed in Stolka is capable ofphotogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into thecharge-transport layer. Thus, in the photoreceptors of Stolka, thephotogenerating material generates electrons and holes when subjected tolight.

More advanced photoconductive photoreceptors containing highlyspecialized component layers are also known. For example, amulti-layered photoreceptor employed in electrophotographic imagingsystems sometimes includes one or more of a substrate, an undercoatinglayer, an intermediate layer, an optional hole- or charge-blockinglayer, a charge-generating layer (including a photogenerating materialin a binder) over an undercoating layer and/or a blocking layer, and acharge-transport layer (including a charge-transport material in abinder). Additional layers such as one or more overcoat layer or layersare also sometimes included.

In view of such a background, improvement in electrophotographicproperties and durability, miniaturization, reduction in cost, and thelike, in electrophotographic photoreceptors have been studied, andelectrophotographic photoreceptors using various materials have beenproposed.

Production of a number of arylamine compounds, such as arylaminecompounds that are useful as charge-transport compounds inelectrostatographic imaging devices and processes, often involvessynthesis of intermediate materials, some of which generally are costlyand/or time-consuming to produce, and some of which involve a multi-stepprocess.

One such class of compounds are triarylamines. Certain triarylaminecompounds may be produced by reaction of an aniline with an aryliodideunder traditional Ullman conditions (copper catalyst, high temperature,long reaction time) or the so-called ligand-accelerated Ullman reactionthat uses lower reaction temperatures but is still limited to the use ofaryliodides (see Goodbrand et al: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,902,901; 5,723,671;5,723,669; 5,705,697; 5,654,482; and 5,648,542). Aryliodides tend to bevery expensive reagents. Furthermore, both of these reactions usuallyrequire lengthy and costly purification processes.

Accordingly, improved processes providing safe, cost-effective, andefficient methods for triarylamine production are desired.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure addresses these and other needs, by providing animproved method for the preparation of triarylamines using a ligatedpalladium catalyst in the presence of base. More particularly, thisdisclosure provides a method of producing triarylamine molecules havingtwo identical aryl rings by the reaction of an aniline with anarylchloride compound in the presence of a ligated palladium catalystthat is better suited for the industrial production of triarylamines.

In embodiments, the disclosure provides a process for forming atriarylamine compound, comprising reacting an aniline and anarylchloride in the presence of a ligated palladium catalyst and a base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE is a schematic cross sectional view showing an embodiment ofan electrophotographic photoreceptor of the disclosure.

EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure is not limited to particular embodiments describedherein, and some components and processes may be varied by one of skill,based on this disclosure. The terminology used herein is for the purposeof describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to belimiting.

In this specification and the claims that follow, singular forms such as“a,” “an,” and “the” include plural forms unless the content clearlydictates otherwise. In addition, reference may be made to a number ofterms that shall be defined as follows:

The terms “hydrocarbon” and “alkane” refer, for example, to branched andunbranched molecules having the general formula C_(n)H_(2n+2), wherein nis, for example, a number from 1 to about 100 or more, such as methane,ethane, n-propane, isopropane, n-butane, isobutane, tert-butane, octane,decane, tetradecane, hexadecane, eicosane, tetracosane, and the like.Alkanes may be substituted by replacing hydrogen atoms with one or morefunctional groups. The term “aliphatic” refers, for example, tostraight-chain molecules, and may be used to describe acyclic,unbranched alkanes. The term “long-chain” refers, for example, tohydrocarbon chains in which n is a number of from about 8 to about 60,such as from about 20 to about 45 or from about 30 to about 40. The term“short-chain” refers, for example, to hydrocarbon chains in which n isan integer of from about 1 to about 7, such as from about 2 to about 5or from about 3 to about 4.

The term “alkyl” refers, for example, to a branched or unbranchedsaturated hydrocarbon group, derived from an alkane and having thegeneral formula C_(n)H_(2n+1), wherein n is, for example, a number from1 to about 100 or more, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl,n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, octyl, decyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl,eicosyl, tetracosyl, and the like. The term “lower alkyl” refers, forexample, to an alkyl group of from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms.“Halogenated alkyl” refers, for example, to an alkyl group in which atleast one hydrogen atom, and optionally all hydrogen atoms, is replacedby a halogen atom.

The term “aryl” refers, for example, to a monocyclic aromatic species ofabout 6 to about 20 carbon atoms or more, such as phenyl, naphthyl,anthrycyl, and the like. Optionally, these groups may be substitutedwith one or more independently selected substituents, including alkyl,alkenyl, alkoxy, hydroxyl and nitro groups.

The term “arylamine” refers, for example, to moieties containing botharyl and amine groups. Exemplary aralkylene groups have the structureAr—NRR′, in which Ar represents an aryl group and R and R′ are groupsthat may be independently selected from hydrogen and substituted andunsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, and other suitable functionalgroups. The term “triaylamine” refers, for example, to arylaminecompounds having the general structure NArAr′Ar″, in which Ar, Ar′ andAr″ represent independently selected aryl groups.

The term “organic molecule” refers, for example, to any molecule that ismade up predominantly of carbon and hydrogen, such as, for example,alkanes and arylamines. The term “heteroatom” refers, for example, toany atom other than carbon and hydrogen. Typical heteroatoms included inorganic molecules include oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and the like.

“Alcohol” refers, for example, to an alkyl moiety in which one or moreof the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an —OH group. The term “loweralcohol” refers, for example, to an alkyl group of about 1 to about 6carbon atoms in which at least one, and optionally all, of the hydrogenatoms has been replaced by an —OH group.

“Amine” refers, for example, to an alkyl moiety in which one or more ofthe hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an —NH₂ group. The term “loweramine” refers, for example, to an alkyl group of about 1 to about 6carbon atoms in which at least one, and optionally all, of the hydrogenatoms has been replaced by an —NH₂ group.

“Carbonyl compound” refers, for example, to an organic compoundcontaining a carbonyl group, C═O, such as, for example, aldehydes, whichhave the general formula RCOH; ketones, which have the general formulaRCOR′; carboxylic acids, which have the general formula RCOOH; andesters, which have the general formula RCOOR′.

The term “derivative” refers, for example, to compounds that are derivedfrom another compound and maintain the same general structure as thecompound from which they are derived. For example, saturated alcoholsand saturated amines are derivatives of alkanes.

The term “homologous” refers, for example, to any number of series oforganic compounds that have similar chemical properties and that differby a constant relative molecular mass. For example, lower alcohols are ahomologous series that includes CH₃OH, CH₃CH₂OH, CH₃CH₂CH₂OH,CH₃(CH₂)₂CH₂OH, CH₃(CH₂)₃CH₂OH and CH₃(CH₂)₄CH₂OH, as well as isomers ofthese molecules.

The term “saturated” refers, for example, to compounds containing onlysingle bonds. The term “unsaturated” refers, for example, to compoundsthat contain one or more double bonds and/or one or more triple bonds.

The term “reflux” refers, for example, to the process of boiling aliquid, condensing the vapor and returning the vapor to the originalcontainer. When a liquid is refluxed, the temperature of the boilingliquid remains constant. The term “boiling point” refers, for example,to the temperature at which the saturated vapor pressure of a liquid isequal to the external atmospheric pressure.

The terms “standard temperature” and “standard pressure” refer, forexample, to the standard conditions used as a basis where propertiesvary with temperature and/or pressure. Standard temperature is 0° C.;standard pressure is 101,325 Pa or 760.0 mmHg. The term “roomtemperature” refers, for example, to temperatures in a range of fromabout 20° C. to about 25° C.

The terms “high temperature environment” and “high temperatureconditions” refer, for example, to an atmosphere in which thetemperature is at least about 28 or about 30° C., and may be as high asabout 300° C. The terms “high humidity environment” and “high humidityconditions” refer, for example, to an atmosphere in which the relativehumidity is at least about 75 or about 80%.

The terms “one or more” and “at least one” herein mean that thedescription includes instances in which one of the subsequentlydescribed circumstances occurs, and that the description includesinstances in which more than one of the subsequently describedcircumstances occurs.

An improved process for producing triarylamines directly from an anilineis to react an arylchloride with an aniline compound in the presence ofa suitable catalyst. For example, 3,4-dimethylaniline can be rapidlyreacted with chlorobenzene to form 3,4-dimethyl-N,N-diphenylanilineusing palladium acetate ligated with2,4,6-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-phosphaadamantane, which ismanufactured as Cytop-216 (Cytec Industries), and sodium t-pentoxidebase. This reaction proceeds rapidly, in about 4 to 8 hours to producethe desired triarylamine.

The results surrounding this process were very unexpected in that thereaction of an aniline with an arylchloride compound in the presence ofa ligated palladium catalyst proceeded easily to produce triarylaminecompound. The same reaction conditions utilizing an arylbromide or anaryliodide instead of an arylchloride do not exclusively producetriarylamine. Therefore, this process is very practical and applicableto the preparation of triarylamines on an industrial scale since asingle-step reaction produces a triarylamine in a short reaction timewith high purity crude products that require little purification. Thisshorter, improved process is now described in detail.

According to the processes of the present invention, an aniline and anarylchloride are used as starting materials. In embodiments, thereaction of the present invention, including the starting materials andfinal product, can generally be represented as follows:

Thus, in this embodiment, an aniline is reacted with an arylchloride toproduce a triarylamine having two identical aryl rings.

In this reaction scheme, the aniline can be any suitable aniline,depending on the desired final product. Thus, for example, in the abovereaction scheme, Ar1 can be any known substituted or unsubstitutedaromatic component or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group havingfrom 2 to about 15 conjugate bonded or fused benzene rings and couldinclude, but is not limited to, phenyl, naphthyl, anthryl, phenanthryl,and the like. The substituents on Ar1 can be suitably selected torepresent hydrogen, a halogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to about 20carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 20 carbonatoms, an aryl group optionally substituted by one or more alkyl groups,an alkyl group containing a heteroatom such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur,and the like, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbonradical containing a heteroatom such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, andthe like, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, an aryl groupcontaining a heteroatom such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and the like,optionally substituted by one or more alkyl groups, and the like.

Likewise, in this reaction scheme, the arylchloride can be any suitablearylchloride, depending upon the desired final product. Thus, forexample, in the above reaction scheme, Ar2 can be any known substitutedor unsubstituted aromatic component or a substituted or unsubstitutedaryl group having from 2 to about 15 conjugate bonded or fused benzenerings and could include, but is not limited to, phenyl, naphthyl,anthryl, phenanthryl, and the like. The substituents on Ar2 can besuitably selected to represent hydrogen, a halogen, an alkyl grouphaving from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon radical havingfrom 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group optionally substituted byone or more alkyl groups, an alkyl group containing a heteroatom such asoxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and the like, having from 1 to about 20 carbonatoms, a hydrocarbon radical containing a heteroatom such as oxygen,nitrogen, sulfur, and the like, having from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms,an aryl group containing a heteroatom such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur,and the like, optionally substituted by one or more alkyl groups, andthe like.

The reactants are reacted in the presence of a suitable catalyst.Although not particularly limited, suitable catalysts are those that areknown or discovered to be useful for formation of nitrogen-carbon bonds.For example, suitable catalysts include ligated palladium catalysts,such as those disclosed by Buchwald et al. and Hartwig et al. (see,e.g., J. Org. Chem. 2000, 65, 5327-5333, the entire disclosure of whichis incorporated herein by reference).

In an embodiment of the present invention, an example of a suitablecatalyst is palladium acetate ligated with tri-t-butylphosphine in thepresence of a base. In another embodiment of the present invention, anexample of a suitable catalyst is palladium acetate ligated with aphospha-adamantane molecule given by structural formula (I):

in the presence of a base, where each X individually represents eitherCH₂ or an oxygen atom; Y¹, Y², Y³, and Y⁴ each individually represent asubstituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched, alkyl, alkenyl, oralkynyl group having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, such as from 1 toabout 5, or from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms; and Y⁵ represents hydrogen,a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or an aryl group. Onespecific molecule given by formula (I) is2,4,6-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-phosphaadamantane, which ismanufactured as Cytop-216 (Cytec Industries). However, it will beapparent to those skilled in the art that other ligands, such as anytertiary phosphine ligand such as biaryldialkylphosphine or trialkylphosphine ligands, could also be used to produce suitable results (fromthe point of view of conversion and yield), and thus would be suitableto ligate palladium or other metals and thus act as catalysts for theprocess described in this disclosure.

Any suitable base may be used in embodiments, such as an alkalinehydroxide or an alkaline alkoxide and the like. Exemplary bases that maybe used in embodiments include bases having the general formula MOR, inwhich O is oxygen, M is a metal atom, and R is a hydrogen or an alkylgroup. M is a metal selected from potassium, sodium, lithium, calcium,magnesium and the like; and R is a hydrogen or a straight or branchedalkyl group selected from methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl,heptyl, octyl, nonyl, and decyl groups, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl,isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, octyl, decyl and the like.Suitable bases include potassium tert-butoxide salt, sodiumtert-butoxide, and sodium tert-pentoxide.

The reaction is carried out in the presence of the catalyst, and can beconducted in continuous mode. However, the reaction may be conducted inbatch mode. For example, the reaction can be carried out for a period offrom about 2 to about 10 hours or more, such as a reaction time of fromabout 4 to about 6 hours.

The reaction can be carried out in a suitable solvent, such as toluene,decane, other hydrocarbon solvents (either aromatic or saturatedhydrocarbons), or mixtures thereof. The choice of solvent can be decidedbased on the solubility of the starting materials, intermediates, andfinal products, and will be readily apparent or within routineexperimentation to those skilled in the art. Furthermore the choice ofsolvent can be decided based on the desired operating temperature range.The described process is exothermic and precautions should be taken toensure that the solvent chosen is capable of dispersing the producedheat by, for example, refluxing and cooling at such a rate so as tocontrol the exotherm. The reaction should be conducted under anatmosphere of inert gas (such as nitrogen or argon) so as to precludedeactivation of catalyst or base by oxygen or atmospheric moisture.

After the reaction is completed, suitable separation, filtration, and/orpurification processes can be conducted, as desired to a desired puritylevel. For example, the desired triarylamine product can be subjected toconventional organic washing steps, can be separated, can be decolorized(if necessary), treated with known absorbents (such as silica, alumina,and clays, if necessary) and the like. The final product can beisolated, for example, by a suitable recrystallization procedure. Thefinal product can also be dried, for example, by air drying, vacuumdrying, or the like. All of these procedures are conventional and willbe apparent to those skilled in the art.

The triaylamine produced by this process can be further processed and/orreacted to provide other compounds for their separate use. For example,the triarylamine can be further processed and/or reacted to providecharge-transport materials or other compounds useful in suchelectrostatographic imaging member. An exemplary electrostatographicimaging member will now be described in greater detail.

The FIGURE is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an embodimentof the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the disclosure. Theelectrophotographic photoreceptor 1 shown in the FIGURE is afunction-separation-type photoreceptor in which a charge-generationlayer 13 and a charge-transport layer 14 are separately provided. Thatis, an underlayer 12, the charge-generation layer 13, the chargetransport layer 14 and a protective layer 15 are laminated onto aconductive support 11 to form a photosensitive layer 16. The protectivelayer 15 contains a resin soluble in the liquid component contained inthe coating solution used for formation of this layer and the siliconcompound. The various layers of the photoreceptor are generally known,and are described in detail in the above-mentioned commonly owned andco-pending

In electrophotographic photoreceptors of embodiments, the photoreceptorscan include various layers such as undercoating layers, chargegenerating layers, charge transport layers, overcoat layers, and thelike.

The charge transport layer generally comprises a charge transportingsmall molecule dissolved or molecularly dispersed in a film formingelectrically inert polymer such as a polycarbonate. The term “dissolved”as employed herein is defined as forming a solution in which the smallmolecule is dissolved in the polymer to form a homogeneous phase. Theexpression “molecularly dispersed” as used herein is defined as a chargetransporting small molecule dispersed in the polymer, the smallmolecules being dispersed in the polymer on a molecular scale. Anysuitable charge transporting or electrically active small molecule maybe employed in the charge transport layer. The expression chargetransporting “small molecule” is defined herein as a monomer that allowsthe free charge photogenerated in the transport layer to be transportedacross the transport layer. Typical charge transporting small moleculesinclude, for example, pyrazolines such as 1-phenyl-3-(4′-diethylaminostyryl)-5-(4″-diethylamino phenyl)pyrazoline, diamines such asN,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine,hydrazones such as N-phenyl-N-methyl-3-(9-ethyl)carbazyl hydrazone and4-diethyl amino benzaldehyde-1,2-diphenyl hydrazone, and oxadiazolessuch as 2,5-bis (4-N,N′-diethylaminophenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole, stilbenesand the like. A small molecule charge transporting compound that permitsinjection of holes from the pigment into the charge generating layerwith high efficiency and transports them across the charge transportlayer with very short transit times isN,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine. Ifdesired, the charge transport material in the charge transport layer maycomprise a polymeric charge transport material or a combination of asmall molecule charge transport material and a polymeric chargetransport material.

Any suitable electrically inactive resin binder insoluble in the alcoholsolvent used to apply an optional overcoat layer may be employed in thecharge transport layer. Typical inactive resin binders includepolycarbonate resin, polyester, polyarylate, polysulfone, and the like.Molecular weights can vary, for example, from about 20,000 to about150,000. Exemplary binders include polycarbonates such aspoly(4,4′-isopropylidene-diphenylene)carbonate (also referred to asbisphenol-A-polycarbonate, poly(4,4′-cyclohexylidinediphenylene)carbonate (referred to as a bisphenol-Z polycarbonate),poly(4,4′-isopropylidene-3,3′-dimethyl-diphenyl)carbonate (also referredto as bisphenol-C-polycarbonate) and the like. Any suitable chargetransporting polymer may also be utilized in the charge transportinglayer. The charge transporting polymer should be insoluble in anysolvent employed to apply the subsequent overcoat layer described below,such as an alcohol solvent. These electrically active chargetransporting polymeric materials should be capable of supporting theinjection of photogenerated holes from the charge generation materialand be incapable of allowing the transport of these holes therethrough.

Any suitable and conventional technique may be utilized to mix andthereafter apply the charge transport layer coating mixture to thecharge generating layer. Typical application techniques includespraying, dip coating, roll coating, wire wound rod coating, and thelike. Drying of the deposited coating may be effected by any suitableconventional technique such as oven drying, infra red radiation drying,air drying, and the like.

Generally, the thickness of the charge transport layer is between about10 and about 50 micrometers, but thicknesses outside this range can alsobe used. The hole transport layer should be an insulator to the extentthat the electrostatic charge placed on the hole transport layer is notconducted in the absence of illumination at a rate sufficient to preventformation and retention of an electrostatic latent image thereon. Ingeneral, the ratio of the thickness of the hole transport layer to thecharge generator layers is desirably maintained from about 2:1 to 200:1and in some instances as great as 400:1. The charge transport layer, issubstantially non-absorbing to visible light or radiation in the regionof intended use but is electrically “active” in that allows theinjection of photogenerated holes from the photoconductive layer, i.e.,charge generation layer, and allows these holes to be transportedthrough itself to selectively discharge a surface charge on the surfaceof the active layer.

To improve photoreceptor wear resistance, a protective overcoat layercan be provided over the charge transport layer (or other underlyinglayer). Various overcoating layers are known in the art, and can be usedas long as the functional properties of the photoreceptor are notadversely affected. The overcoating layers of embodiments can be asilicon overcoat layer, which can comprise one or more siliconcompounds, a resin, and a charge transport molecule such as anarylamine.

In embodiments, the resin may be a resin soluble in a liquid componentin a coating solution used for formation of a silicon overcoat layer.Such a resin soluble in the liquid component may be selected based uponthe kind of liquid component. For example, if the coating solutioncontains an alcoholic solvent, a polyvinyl acetal resin such as apolyvinyl butyral resin, a polyvinyl formal resin or a partiallyacetalized polyvinyl acetal resin in which butyral is partially modifiedwith formal or acetoacetal, a polyamide resin, a cellulose resin such asethyl cellulose and a phenol resin may be suitably chosen as thealcohol-soluble resins. These resins may be used either alone or as acombination of two or more resins. Of the above-mentioned resins, thepolyvinyl acetal resin is particularly suitable in embodiments in termsof electric characteristics.

In embodiments, the weight-average molecular weight of the resin solublein the liquid component may be from about 2,000 to about 1,000,000, suchas from about 5,000 to about 50,000. When the weight-average molecularweight is less than about 2,000, enhancing discharge gas resistance,mechanical strength, scratch resistance, particle dispersibility, etc.,tend to become insufficient. However, when the weight-average molecularweight exceeds about 1,000,000, the resin solubility in the coatingsolution decreases, and the amount of resin added to the coatingsolution may be limited and poor film formation in the production of thephotosensitive layer may result.

Further, the amount of the resin soluble in the liquid component may be,in embodiments, from about 0.1 to about 15% by weight, or from about 0.5to about 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the coatingsolution. When the amount added is less than 0.1% by weight, enhancingdischarge gas resistance, mechanical strength, scratch resistance,particle dispersibility, etc. tend to become insufficient. However, ifthe amount of the resin soluble in the liquid component exceeds about15% by weight, there is a tendency for formation of indistinct imageswhen the electrophotographic photoreceptor of the disclosure is used athigh temperature and high humidity.

There is no particular limitation on the silicon compound used inembodiments of the disclosure, as long as it has at least one siliconatom. However, a compound having two or more silicon atoms in itsmolecule may be used in embodiments. The use of the compound having twoor more silicon atoms in its molecule allows both the strength and imagequality of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to be achieved athigher levels.

Various fine particles can also be added to the siliconcompound-containing layer. The fine particles may be used either aloneor as a combination of two or more such fine particles. Non-limitingexamples of the fine particles include fine particles containingsilicon, such as fine particles containing silicon as a constituentelement, and specifically include colloidal silica and fine siliconeparticles.

Colloidal silica used in embodiments as the fine particles containingsilicon in the disclosure is selected from an acidic or alkaline aqueousdispersion of the fine particles having an average particle size of 1 to100 nm, or 10 to 30 nm, and a dispersion of the fine particles in anorganic solvent such as an alcohol, a ketone or an ester, and generally,commercially available particles can be used.

There is no particular limitation on the solid content of colloidalsilica in a top surface layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptorof embodiments. However, in embodiments, colloidal silica may beincluded in amounts of from about 1 to about 50% by weight, such as fromabout 5 to about 30% by weight, based on the total solid content of thetop surface layer, in terms of film forming properties, electriccharacteristics and strength.

The fine silicone particles used as the fine particles containingsilicon in the disclosure are selected from silicone resin particles,silicone rubber particles and silica particles surface-treated withsilicone, which are spherical and have an average particle size of fromabout 1 to 500 nm, such as from about 10 to about 100 nm, and generally,commercially available particles can be used in embodiments.

In embodiments, the fine silicone particles are small-sized particlesthat are chemically inactive and excellent in dispersibility in a resin,and further are low in content as may be necessary for obtainingsufficient characteristics. Accordingly, the surface properties of theelectrophotographic photoreceptor can be improved without inhibition ofthe crosslinking reaction. That is to say, fine silicone particlesimprove the lubricity and water repellency of surfaces ofelectrophotographic photoreceptors where incorporated into strongcrosslinked structures, which may then be able to maintain good wearresistance and stain adhesion resistance for a long period of time. Thecontent of the fine silicone particles in the siliconcompound-containing layer of embodiments may be from about 0.1 to about20% by weight, such as from about 0.5 to about 10% by weight, based onthe total solid content of the silicon compound-containing layer.

Other fine particles that may be used in embodiments include finefluorine-based particles such as ethylene tetrafluoride, ethylenetrifluoride, propylene hexafluoride, vinyl fluoride and vinylidenefluoride, and semiconductive metal oxides such as ZnO—Al₂O₃, SnO₂—Sb₂O₃,In₂O₃—SnO₂, ZnO—TiO₂, MgO—Al₂O₃, FeO—TiO₂, TiO₂, SnO₂, In₂O₃, ZnO andMgO.

In conventional electrophotographic photoreceptors, when theabove-mentioned fine particles are contained in the photosensitivelayer, the compatibility of the fine particles with a charge transportsubstance or a binding resin may become insufficient, which causes layerseparation in the photosensitive layer, and thus the formation of anopaque film. As a result, the electric characteristics have deterioratedin some cases. In contrast, the silicon compound-containing layer ofembodiments (a charge transport layer in this case) may contain theresin soluble in the liquid component in the coating solution used forformation of this layer and the silicon compound, thereby improving thedispersibility of the fine particles in the silicon compound-containinglayer. Accordingly, the pot life of the coating solution can besufficiently prolonged, and it becomes possible to prevent deteriorationof the electric characteristics.

Further, an additive such as a plasticizer, a surface modifier, anantioxidant, or an agent for preventing deterioration by light can alsobe used in the silicon compound-containing layer of embodiments.Non-limiting examples of plasticizers that may be used in embodimentsinclude, for example, biphenyl, biphenyl chloride, terphenyl, dibutylphthalate, diethylene glycol phthalate, dioctyl phthalate,triphenylphosphoric acid, methylnaphthalene, benzophenone, chlorinatedparaffin, polypropylene, polystyrene, and various fluorohydrocarbons.

The antioxidants may include an antioxidant having a hindered-phenol,hindered-amine, thioether, or phosphite partial structure. This iseffective for improvement of potential stability and image quality inenvironmental variation. The antioxidants include an antioxidant havinga hindered-phenol, hindered-amine, thioether or phosphite partialstructure. This is effective for improvement of potential stability andimage quality in environmental variation.

There is no particular limitation on the thickness of thesilicon-containing layer, however, in embodiments, thesilicon-containing layer may be from about 2 to about 5 μm in thickness,such as from about 2.7 to about 3.2 μm in thickness.

The electrophotographic photoreceptor of embodiments may be either afunction-separation-type photoreceptor, in which a layer containing acharge-generation substance (charge-generation layer) and a layercontaining a charge-transport substance (charge-transport layer) areseparately provided, or a monolayer-type photoreceptor, in which boththe charge-generation layer and the charge-transport layer are containedin the same layer.

Specific examples are described in detail below. These examples areintended to be illustrative, and the materials, conditions, and processparameters set forth in these exemplary embodiments are not limiting.All parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLE

The invention will be illustrated in greater detail with reference tothe following Example, but the invention should not be construed asbeing limited thereto. In the following example, all the “parts” aregiven by weight unless otherwise indicated.

Preparation of 3,4-dimethyl-N,N-diphenylaniline

In a 500 mL round bottom flask was placed palladium acetate (370 mg),and Cytop-216 (365 mg) and were stirred in chlorobenzene (50 mL) for atleast 30 minutes. To this mixture was added, in order,3,4-dimethylaniline (20 g), chlorobenzene (100 mL) and sodiumtert-pentoxide (40 g), and the resulting mixture heated to 130° C. forbetween 6 and 18 hours after which time HPLC analysis can confirmcomplete conversion to the desired triarylamine. Between 50 mL and 100mL of chlorobenzene was distilled from the reaction mixture. The mixturewas cooled to room temperature and methanol (200 mL) and water (20 mL)were added. The precipitate was collected by filtration and driedovernight under vacuum. The yield was >75% and the purity was >99% asconfirmed by HPLC and NMR.

While this procedure represents a preferred example done at lab scale,it has also been observed that the reaction need not be carried out inneat arylchloride to be a success. Regardless of whether thearylchloride is present in reagent amounts (1.0-1.2 mol equivalents),mixed 50/50 (vol/vol) with a cosolvent (xylene), or neat, the reactionproceeds to completion after heating at 130° C. overnight.

It will be appreciated that various of the above-discussed and otherfeatures and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirablycombined into many other different systems or applications. Also thatvarious presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives,modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequentlymade by those skilled in the art which are also intended to beencompassed by the following claims.

1. A process for forming a triaylamine compound, comprising: reacting ananiline and an arylchloride in the presence of a palladium ligatedcatalyst and a base; wherein the palladium ligated catalyst is apalladium acetate ligated with a molecule given by structural formula(I):

wherein: each X individually represents either CH₂ or an oxygen atom;Y¹, Y², Y³, and Y⁴ each individually represent a substituted orunsubstituted, straight or branched, alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group,having from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms; and Y⁵ represents hydrogen, asubstituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or an aryl group.
 2. Theprocess according to claim 1, wherein the aniline, the arylchloride, andthe triarylamine, are represented as follows:

wherein: Ar1 and Ar2, which can be the same or different, are selectedfrom the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted aromaticcomponents, and substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups having from 2to about 15 conjugate bonded or fused benzene rings; wherein asubstituent on the aryl groups Ar1 and Ar2 is selected from the groupconsisting of hydrogen, a halogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to about20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 20 carbonatoms, an aryl group, an aryl group substituted by one or more alkylgroups, an alkyl group containing a heteroatom and having from 1 toabout 20 carbon atoms, a hydrocarbon radical containing a heteroatom andhaving from 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group containing aheteroatom, and an aryl group containing a heteroatom substituted by oneor more alkyl groups.
 3. The process according to claim 1, wherein theprocess is conducted in batch mode.
 4. The process according to claim 1,wherein the process is conducted in continuous mode.
 5. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein the process is carried out in a time offrom about 2 to about 10 hours.
 6. The process according to claim 1,wherein the process is carried out in a solvent.
 7. The processaccording to claim 6, wherein the solvent is toluene.
 8. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein the process is carried out under an inertatmosphere.
 9. The process according to claim 1, wherein the base isrepresented by a general formula MOR, where: O is oxygen; M is a metalselected from the group consisting of potassium, sodium, lithium,calcium, magnesium; and R is a hydrogen or a straight or branched alkylgroup selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl,butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, and decyl groups.
 10. Theprocess according to claim 1, wherein the base is potassiumtert-butoxide salt.
 11. The process according to claim 1, wherein thebase is sodium t-pentoxide.
 12. The process according to claim 1,wherein the base is sodium t-butoxide.
 13. The process according toclaim 1, wherein the molecule given by structural formula (I) is2,4,6-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-phosphaadamantane.
 14. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein Y¹, Y², Y³, and Y⁴ each individuallyrepresent a substituted or unsubstituted, straight or branched, alkyl,alkenyl, or alkynyl group, having from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms. 15.The process according to claim 1, wherein Y¹, Y², Y³, and Y⁴ eachindividually represent a substituted or unsubstituted, straight orbranched, alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl group, having from 1 to about 3carbon atoms.